Poinsettia plant named ‘Duescandic’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Duescandic’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; early flowering habit; inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUESCANDIC’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duescandic’.

The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching Poinsettia cultivars with attractive floral bract coloration and excellent post-production longevity.

The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in October, 2000 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 96-2358-004, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 95-0458-008, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Duescandic was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany in December, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Rheinberg, Germany since December, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Duescandic has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duescandic’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duescandic’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with dark red-colored flower bracts.     -   5. Relatively large cyathia.     -   6. Excellent post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the female parent selection of in flower bract coloration as plants of the new Poinsettia had deeper red-colored flower bracts.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more compact than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had made cyathia per         inflorescence than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the Poinsettia cultivar Fiscor, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar Fiscor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were broader than plants of the         cultivar Fiscor.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had longer internodes than         plants of the cultivar Fiscor.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller leaves than plants         of the cultivar Fiscor.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker red-colored flower         bracts than plants of the cultivar Fiscor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia. The photograph shows the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duescandic’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Rheinberg, Germany during the winter in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Poinsettia production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 22° C. and light levels were about 4,5000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants were in 13-cm containers and pinched one time. Plants were about 16 weeks old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar Duescandic. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 96-2358-004,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number 95-0458-008,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About nine days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 13 days at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, fleshy; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant             habit; inverted triangle. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliar plane. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 23.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 38.5 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity: Freely branching             habit, about seven lateral branches develop after pinching.             Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length:             About 1.2 cm to 1.3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 8 cm. Width: About 6.2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Lobed; dentate. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 137A.             Developing foliage, lower surface: 138A. Fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: 139A; venation, 146B. Fully expanded             foliage, lower surface: 137A to 137B; venation, 146B to             146C. Petiole: Length: About 4.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 187A to 187B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia. One inflorescence per lateral branch. Flowers are             not fragrant. Flowers persistent. Inflorescences positioned             above the foliage.         -   Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter; inflorescence             initiation and development is induced under long nyctoperiod             conditions. Early flowering, response time is about 7.5 to 8             weeks.         -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production             longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good             substance and bract color for about two months under             interior conditions.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 21.3 cm. Height (depth):             About 4 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length:             About 9.4 cm. Width: About 6.3 cm. Shape: Ovate; slightly             lobed. Apex: Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire;             slightly lobed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing or             transitional bracts, upper surface: 46A. Developing or             transitional bracts, lower surface: 53B. Fully developed             bracts, upper surface: 46A to 46B; color becoming closer to             46C to 46D with development. Fully developed bracts, lower             surface: 46C to 46D. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:             Similar to flower bract color. Bract petiole: Length: About             1.9 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             53A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 16. Diameter of cyathia             cluster: About 3.3 cm. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About             5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature: 143B. Color, mature:             143B to 143C. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: About one or             two. Size: About 4.3 mm. Color: 17A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Strength: Strong to moderately strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             ten. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther             color: 187A. Amount of pollen: Abundant. Pollen color: 9A.             Pistils: Quantity per cyathium: One. Pistil length: About             1 cm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color: 144B. Stigma             shape: Crested. Stigma color: 59A to 59B. Ovary color: 144A.             Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     shown to be resistant to Botrytis. Plants of the new Poinsettia have     not been shown to be resistant to pests and other pathogens common     to Poinsettias. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 12° C. to about     40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Duescandic’ as illustrated and described. 